Sewing thread and sewn article



Aug. 9, 1955 w. s. wooDsoN, JR 2,714,758

SEWING THREAD AND SEWN ARTICLE Filed Aug. 9, 1949 WI TNEES IN VEN TOR.

, fiammm Mu/4114.51 Mayan/M United States Patent Ofiice Patented Aug. 9, 1955 SEWING THREAD AND SEWN ARTICLE William S. Woodson, J12, Ridgewood, N. 1., assignor to The Manhattan Shirt Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application August 9, 1949, Serial No. 109,375

16 Claims. (Cl. 287) This invention relates in part to sewing thread, particularly thread which is used in sewing machines (operating at high speed) for sewing sections of fabric together which form parts of articles of wearing apparel and other types of fabric articles. Such thread may also be used in other operations, such as hernming, embroidering, hemstitching, faggoting, etc. This invention may be utilized in connection with sewing fabrics and materials made of cotton, .sill rayon, flax, wool or other suitable natural or synthetic fibres, either woven or knitted or sheet material, such as synthetic films. This invention further relates to a process of stitching such products with such thread, in machine sewing and converting the products to the final form in which they are acceptable to the user.

An object of this invention is to produce a sewing thread which, when used for stitching and after suitable treatment, leaves an excess of thread in each stitch, sufficient in amount to compensate for the take-up or shrinkage that normally occurs in each stitch upon subsequent laundering and thus provide a solution of a long existing difficulty experienced by manufacturers of articles of wearing apparel. This invention is particularly useful in connection with articles made of shrunk fabrics which are washed after use or become wet during use.

In the manufacture of mens shirt collars, shrunk woven fabrics have been Widely used. Mens shirt collars are made up of a plurality of several parts of such shrunk fabric, cut to predetermined configuration and then stitched together with a sewing machine by the use of usual sewing thread. The industry found, although such collars were made of shrunk fabrics, that upon washing, such collars were reduced to an undesirable extent, one-half size more or less than the cut size of the collar. Such reduction was due to contraction of the sewing thread. In an attempt to correct such condition, collar manufacturers cut collars about one-half size larger than the size stamped upon the collar in the expectation that the collar, when washed, would shrink to the size stamped thereon, which was of course the size which the user expected the collar to retain during use. Experience also showed that when collars were washed, and contraction occurred, in spite of the use of shrunk fabrics, the fabric would gather or pueker along the lines of stitching. It could not always be predetermined how much contraction would take place during washing and therefore the oversize allowance was usually a hit and miss estimate.

This invention provides a solution of these problems and by its use, collars may be cut to actual size (stamped size), and when washed in laundering, contraction is com pensated for by the use of the thread of this invention whereby both take-up and the formation of gathers are eliminated. The operations of collar manufacture are not interfered with, but are carried on in the normal manner.

In the drawings Figs. 1 and 2 schematically represent two different methods of manufacturing the thread of this invention; Fig. 3 represents two sections of fabric stitched together with the composite thread, and Fig. 4 represents the same sections of fabric with the destructible yarn eliminated and the permanent yarn shrunk to form a perfect seam.

Generally speaking the invention involves the formation of a special kind of sewing thread comprising the two components, made up of yarns or filaments of permanent characteristics associated with other yarns or filaments of destructible characteristics which are united in a novel manner to provide suitable sewing thread, but in which one yarn can be independently destroyed without damage to the other. Such thread is used in sewing machines for stitching purposes and when the stitching is completed the destructible yarns or filaments are destroyed by mechanical or chemical means, hot washing water, as used by commercial laundries, or by any other suitable means. The characteristic of the sewing thread is such that upon the elimination of the destructible yarns or filaments, a slight excess of the permanent yarns or filaments is present in each stitch, to such an amount as to compensate for the contraction or take-up which will take place. When the article is subsequently washed, the permanent yarns or filaments, do not pull upon the fabric and cause contraction, gather, or puckering thereof, but because of the presence of the slight excess of thread in each stitch, provision is made for take-up and the permanent yarns or filaments, in the form of thread, provide a perfect permanent balanced seam or line of continuous holding stitches free of slack or looseness.

The thread per se, in addition to its special characteristics, suitable to answer the purposes of this invention, also has the physical characteristics to make it adaptable 1 and useful especially in sewing machines without necessitating reconstruction of such machines.

This invention is not limited to collar manufacturing, but is useful in connection with all machine sewing and stitching operations, including use with fabrics which have been shrunk, preshrunk or otherwise treated to reduce or substantially eliminate shrinkage, or in fact may be used in sewing any kind of material, whether pretreated for shrinkage or not.

One of several alternative procedures is here outlined by which a suitable sewing thread embodying this invention can be made. Such a thread can be made by twisting three duplex components. Each of the said three duplex components is made up of a permanent yarn (as cotton) and a destructible yarn (as oriented polymerized ethylene). The members of each duplex component are twisted together with both components under tension in the singling operation. In some instances the destructible yarn has greater elasticity than the permanent yarn and therefore, during singling, when both yarns are under like tension, the destructible yarn will elongate to a greater extent than the permanent yarn.

In such instances in which the destructible yarn has the same or less elasticity than the permanent yarn, it is necessary to put the former under greater tension during the singling operation. After this singling operation, the

composite singling is relaxed, resulting in the permanent yarn taking on substantially uniform continuous crinkles or crimps. The three duplex components are thread of this invention may be altered in such manner as to conform-to the plant practice of thread nufacturers.

It is preferred to use the destructible and permanent yarns of comparable gauge and twist the yarns together, but nevertheless avoid contact of successive convolutions of the same type of yarn. Preferably successive convolutions of the same type of yarn are separated by successive convolutions of the other type of yarn. The number of twists of the two types of yarn may vary from 10 to- 2 5 twists per inch and the same range of twisting is satisfactory in the finalassembly of the duplex components making up the sewing thread, The number of twists per inch may readily be determined by the thread manufacturer and varied according to his experience, depending upon the type of end product he is desirous toproduce. The thread manufacturer may therefore, under special conditions, vary the number of twists per inch below and above the twists set out above. The ultimate strength of the sewing thread is controlled by the number of permanent yarns embodied in the sewing thread as compared with the destructible yarn.

The permanent yarn may be eithersingle or ply and of cotton, rayon, other synthetic yarns, wool or other fibres or filaments. The destructible yarn may be made of any suitable fibres which are destroyed without dest-roying or seriously weakening the permanent yarn. Such destructible yarn may be in'the form of nylon, soluble alginate yarn, or oriented synthetic yarns or filaments which are readily destructible by the use of mechanical or chemical means, heat or hot wash water.

Examples of such oriented synthetic yarns or filaments are:

An oriented copolymer of vinyl chloride with vinyl acetate; an oriented polymerized ethylene (polyethylene); an oriented copolymer of vinylidene chloride and a proportion of vinyl chloride; an oriented polyester of terephthalic acid with ethylene glycol. Such material should be made in order that it will dissolve or be destroyed at the ordinary temperatures of the hot wash water used in commercial launderies, which ranges generally between 140 and 180 F.

The oriented synthetic yarns are particularly advantageous in that they are readily destructible or soluble in wash water as used by the commercial launderies; The oriented polymerized ethylene may be destroyed by washing the article in ordinary comr""al laundrv wash water.

It is to be understood that the composite sewing thread is actually of a heavier size (gauge) than will ultimately be present in the finished article after the destructible yarn has been eliminated. Thus, in sewing collars, shirts and other articles of wearing apparel, the size of thread suggested is No. 40', but when the destructible component is eliminated, the resultant thread present in the seam will be substantially No. 70, which is a desirable size thread to use for manufacturing collars and many other articles.

When the sewing thread is made up of permanent yarn and such oriented synthetic yarn, the manufacturer may ship the completed article to the customer who may then initially use it with the sewing thread still comprising the destructible and the permanent yarns. Upon the first washing, the oriented synthetic yarn Will readily dissolve, under washing conditions prevalent in laundering; Upon the dissolution of the destructible yarn a slight excess of the permanent yarn is released in each stitch of the permanent yarn, which excess compensates for the shrinkage occurring in the permanent yarn during the Washing operations. The shrinkage which occurs in the permanent yarn takes up substantially all of the excess created by the destruction of the destructible yarn and leavesthe scam in desirable condition, without gathers in the fabric of the article.

While the oriented synthetic yarn may be destroyed, by wash water, as explained, it may also be destroyed by the use of chemical or other means, including dry heat. Synthetic and soluble alginate yarns in turn may be subjected or exposed to mechanical or chemical treatments, bringing about their destruction.

in the course of winding the destructible and permanent yarns, portions of the convolutions are twisted within the composite thread and these portions of the destructible yarn contribute largely to the excess present in each stitch, when the destructible yarn is destroyed. This invention would not be practical to its full utility should but two yarns, a destructible and a permanent yarn, be

twisted together, inasmuch as it is desirable to embed part of each convolution of the destructible yarn Within the composite thread. The thread may be made of' my thread count size, but it is preferred that yarnof comparable thickness be used inasmuch as a comparatively thin permanent yarn formed into thread with a component consisting of a much heavier destructible yarn would result in a thread which would not readily lend itself" to practical sewing, or in the subsequent treatment in connection with destroying the destructible yarn.

It is preferred in twisting the yarns to put the destructible yarn under tension as explained, but in such instances in which the destructible yarn has an elastic char acteristic beyond that of the companion permanent yam, they may be twisted together under the same tension, whereby the destructible yarn will automatically twist with the permanent yarn and thereby providing a thread which is serviceable within the scope of this invention. It-

is also possible to utilize two different types of synthetic" yarns, one of which is destructible under treatment with heat, While the other remains unaffected and constitutes the permanent seam thread.

The amount of tension which is applied to the destructible yarn, in the course of twisting in the singling operation, determines the number of crinkles to a given length of the final product. The greater the amount of tension applied to the destructible yarn, results in increasing the number of crinkles. In the manufacture of the No. 40 thread, heretofore mentioned, it has been found satisfactory if the tension on the destructible yarn during twisting is of suchan order as to produce in the finished thread a relaxation thereof of approximately 4 inches to a yard of finished thread. This amount of relaxation is sufiicient to produce a satisfactory seam in the sewn article after the destructible yarn is eliminated. The thread manufacturer can thereby readily determine how much tension is to be placed upon the destructible yarn in order to produce' thread of such characteristics as is desirable.

Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings represent schematically two diiterent methods of manufacturing the composite thread of this invention. The permanent yarn 1 (such as cotton) and the destructible yarn 2 (such as an oriented synthetic yarn) are represented between the lines a and b as being fed to a point of convergence along the line b With the destructible yarn 2 under tension, as heretofore explained. Three separate sets, each comprising a permanent yarn and a destructible yarn, are thus fed to manufacture a thread made up of three permanent yarn members and three destructible yarn members. The twisting operation of the three sets of yarns 1 and 2 is illustrated as occurring between the lines b and 0 while the destructible yarns 2 are under tension. The thus formed singles are then fed, as represented between the lines c and d, to a point of convergence along the line a, where the singles are twisted together, with the destructible yarn still under tension, to form plied thread, illustrated between the lines d and e. The plying of the thread havingbeen completed, relaxation is permitted, as represented ,resented as composite thread of this invention.

trated between the lines b and e separated in order to trace them through the operations. Actually, however, in the steps represented between the lines b and e the singles are twisted together.

Fig. 3 illustrates two sections of fabric 3 and 4 stitched together with the composite thread of this invention. Both the spool thread 5 and the bobbin thread 6 are rep- It is to be noted that there is neither looseness nor slack in the stitching of the two sections 3 and 4 together. In fact, the stitching is as tight as would be accomplished on a sewing machine if ordinary thread had been used.

Fig. 4 represents the same two sections of fabric 3 and 4 after the destructible yarn has been destroyed, leaving only the permanent yarn 1 as stitching. It is to be noted that the thickness or gauge of the thread has been materially reduced by the elimination of the destructible yarn 2. The seam, however, does not exhibit looseness or slack in the stitching in spite of the elimination of the destructible yarn, but rather produces a perfect seam.

Some manufacturers of sewn articles may prefer to put such articles in their customers hands with the destructible components eliminated or destroyed, rather than leave the destruction step to be carried out by the user. Should the manufacturer prefer to so finish his products, as for instance by mechanical, chemical or heat treatment, it would necessarily involve carrying out the destruction step of the destructible yarn as a separate plant operation, after the product is completely sewn.

The strength of the composite thread answers all purposes for which it is used in sewing and stitching operatrons, inasmuch as the destructible yarn has inherent strength. When, however, the destructible yarn is eliminated, the strength of the thread is then dependent upon the permanent yarn. The thread manufacturer must consequently, in the manufacture of the thread, so combine the proportions of destructible and permanent components of the thread in order that the thread, which is ultimately incorporated in the fabric articles, by stitching, provides the desired strength in the seam. It will therefore be evident that the thread manufacturer must provide the required amount of permanent yarn in each different gauge size or number of thread being produced. Thus, in manufacturing thread, according to this invention, the permanent component should be of such a strength and quantity as to provide, when the destructible component is eliminated, thread equal to the selected gauge or number. The greater the amount of the destructible component present in the thread, the greater will be the excess of thread in each stitch. The thread of this invention may be made of any gauge of yarns which the thread manufacturer may select. It may be made in a pair of plies or in a multiplicity of plies 3, 4, 5 or 6 plies, etc. In each instance, the singling twists comprise a destructible and permanent component and as many of such singlings are plied to provide the type of thread desired. If desired, the thread manufacturer, may make the thread by twisting, in the plying operation, a singling or singlings comprising a destructible and a permanent yarn, with additional destructible yarn or yarns or in the alternative with additional permanent yarn or yarns. These factors will be understood by the thread manufacturer and can readily be determined and controlled during the manufacture of the thread.

An examination of a line of sewing as it comes off the sewing machine, and before the destructible yarn has been eliminated, will exhibit the erinkling of the permanent yarn, but constrained from elongating by the presence of the destructible yarn. When the destructible yarn is eliminated, the crinkling is freed from the influence of the destructible yarn and permits elongation of the permanent yarn in each stitch to the full extent required necessary to avoid tension upon the stitched fabric and thereby avoiding gather of the fabric.

1 claim:

1. In sewing thread for use in sewing machines, comprising destructible yarn and permanent yarn, said yarns being twisted together constituting thread, said permanent yarn being crinkled, the destructible yarn engaging the crinkles and retaining them in crinkled condition during machine stitching, the permanent yarn being resistant to agents capable of destroying the destructible yarn.

2. In sewing thread of the character set forth in claim 1 in which the permanent yarn contains cotton and the destructible yarn is destroyable by laundry wash water.

3. In sewing thread of the character set forth in claim 1 in which the destructible yarn and the permanent yarn are of comparable gauge.

4. In sewing thread comprising a permanent component, having inherent shrinkage, a component destroyable by an agent incapable of destroying said permanent component, the said components being twisted together to form sewing thread, the permanent component being crinkled, said crinkles being retained in their crinkled relation by engagement with said destroyable component, said permanent component when the destructible component is destroyed being free to shrink and during shrinkage reducing the size of the crinkles.

5. In an article of manufacture, of the type having sections of fabric stitched together with sewing thread, comprising a continuous line of thread in the form of stitches passing through portions of said article, said sewing thread comprising a plurality of destructible yarns and permanent yarns, the destructible yarns and the permanent yarns being twisted together with portions of the destructible yarns within the thread, said destructible yarns being destructible by agents which do not substantially affect the permanent yarns, said permanent yarns, when the destructible yarns are destroyed, providing excess of thread in the individual stitches, said permanent yarns being capable of shrinking during washing of the article, said permanent yarns, after the destruction of the destructible yarns, upon washing, shrinking to substantially take up such excess but without causing gathers in said fabric.

6. A composite, multiple ply, sewing thread for use in sewing together superposed layers of textile fabrics to produce a seam having minimum shrinkage and stitch pucker, said thread being formed of a plurality of ply yarns twisted together, each ply yarn being formed of a plurality of single yarns twisted together, one of said single yarns in each ply yarn being formed, at least in part, of a tenuous body of a material soluble in laundry washing solutions.

7. A composite, multiple ply, sewing thread for use in sewing together superposed layers of textile fabrics to produce a seam having minimum shrinkage and stitch pucker, said thread being formed of a plurality of cords twisted together with a relatively high twist, one of said cords being formed of a tenuous body of a material which is soluble in laundry washing solutions, and another of said cords being relatively insoluble in said solutions.

8. A composite article comprising a plurality of layers of textile fabrics abutting face to face and stitched together by interengaged sewing threads to form a seam having minimum shrinkage and minimum stitch pucker, one of said threads being a composite, relatively highly twisted, multiple ply, sewing thread, at least one comsolutions, and another ply being insoluble in said solutions and in itself a complete sewing thread.

9. A composite sewing thread suitable for use in a regular sewing machine for stitching together superposed layers of textile fabrics to form a seam having minimum shrinkage and minimum stitch pucker, which comprises a multiple ply, relatively high twisted, sewing thread, one ply of which is of a material which is destructible in form in a commercial laundry washing operation, and another ply of which is itself a sewing thread, and relatively non-destructible in said washing operation.

10. A composite article comprising a plurality of layers of textile fabrics, abutting. face to face and stitched together with sewing thread' to form a seam having minimum shrinkageand minimum stitch pucker, said thread being a composite, relatively highly twisted, multiple ply, sewing thread, at least one component ply being destructible in the usual commercial laundry washing operations, and another ply being relatively non-destructible 5 in said washing operations.

11. A composite sewing thread comprising a multiple ply relatively highly twisted sewing thread, a major portion of at least one ply of which is formed of a material which is destructible in form in a laundry washing operation, and at least another ply of which is relatively nondestructible in said washing operation.

12. A composite sewing thread comprising a multiple ply relatively highly twisted sewing thread, at least one ply of which is formed of a material which is destructible in form in a laundry washing operation, and at least another ply of which is relatively non-destructible in said washing operation.

13. A composite sewing thread in accordance with claim 12, wherein said destructible material is water soluble and said indestructible material is insoluble in water.

14. A composite sewing thread comprising a multiple ply sewing thread having a twist of at least 10 turns per inch, a major portion of at least one ply of which is formed of a material which is destructible in form in a laundry washing operation, and at least another ply of which is relatively non-destructible in said washing operation.

15. A composite multiple ply sewing thread formed of a plurality of ply yarns highly twisted together, at least one of said ply yarns being formed of a plurality of single yarns twisted together, at least one of said single yarns having a major portion thereof formed of a tenuous body of a material soluble in laundry washing solutions. 16. A sewing thread in accordance with claim 15,

wherein said single yarns and said ply yarns are twisted at least 10 turns per inch.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,313,594 Hattshorne Aug. 19, 1919 2,145,346 Dreyfus Jan. 31, 1939 2,332,738 Meade Oct. 26, 1943 2,435,543 Johnson et al. Feb. 3, 1948 

